New Mayo Rose to promote mental health

REPRESENTING MAYO  The new Mayo Rose of Tralee, Rachel Gibbons, is pictured with her parents Bernie and PJ.

Ciara Galvin

THE newly crowned Mayo Rose of Tralee Rachel Gibbons hopes to promote mental health awareness during her year in the role.
The Annies native was crowned the 2018 Mayo Rose at the annual Mayo Rose Selection night in the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris, where she beat off stiff competition from ten other hopefuls.
The 24-year-old Rose spoke to The Mayo News following her win and said she hoped to get people talking about mental health.
“I have had my own troubles and issues with my own mental health and I think the best thing you can do is talk about it and the worst thing you can do is hide it and pretend you’re fine. A big thing for me would be trying to get people to talk,” said Rachel.
The accounts assistant with JJ Rhatigan & Co in Galway said it was ‘such an honour’ to be crowned the new Mayo Rose.
Rachel highlighted the pressures of living up to social media as one contributing factor to people struggling with their own mental health.
“People are basically trying to live up to a filter. They are achievable for some people but there’s the pressure to look good and it’s a lot of pressure. Try not to put yourself under so much pressure and basically be happy and confident in yourself.”
The avid social dancer explained how she found herself being entered into the Rose Selection and revealed that it was a surprise to her to discover she was in the running.
“Everyone used to say to me ‘You should go for the Rose of Tralee’ because I’m so fit to talk, and I was always putting it off. I thought I’d go for it when I was feeling more confident and the next thing I got an email saying ‘Thank you for your application to the Rose of Tralee’. My Mum and my sister had actually applied for it.”
Rachel is the youngest of four children, sister to Charlene and Lorraine and well-known Ballintubber and Mayo footballer Jason.
Rachel said though putting herself in front of people on the selection night was ‘daunting’, she described it as ‘an amazing experience’ and is looking forward to a busy year ahead.
“I had ear marked to start specialist exams in September, but we’ll see if it’s going to be a hectic year. I might put them off a little while.”
Now the Mayo Rose has her sights firmly set on Tralee in August and is looking forward to meeting fellow national and international Roses.